Newport

No entry found for this Newport in the Domesday survey. Cox (notes): "The font, of unique design, bears round the margin of the bowl the inscription : " The givet of Anne Keith, widow, 1633." It was for a time ejected after the old church was destroyed, and suffered damage, but after being used as a flower-pot in the vicarage garden for some years was recovered to the church. The base of the well-carved font-cover was actually turned into a footstool for the lectern, according to the shameful taste of 1857 ; but happily it now again occupies its right position, though the upper part is missing." The Victoria County History (Hampshire, vol. 5, 1912) notes: "In 1854 the 12th-century church of St. Thomas of Canterbury [...] built c. 1180, was pulled down to make way for the present structure [...] There is a Jacobean font inscribed 'THE · GIVET · OF · ANNE · KEITH · WIDOW · 1637,' the cover of which now does duty as a stand for the lectern." The entry for this church in Historic England [Listing NGR: SZ4997589144] notes: "Parish Church, rebuilt 1854-5 [...] Font of 1636, small bowl with cover on very heavy large scrolls. " The Church Guide in the Parish web site [http://www.newportparish.org.uk/newportparish/stt-guide.htm] [accessed 11 May 2009] informs: "By the South door stands the font. This one is a replacement for the original font, dated 1637 [sic], which disappeared and was recently discovered being used as a bird bath in a Newport garden. It has been returned to the Church and now stands further down the South aisle." Octagonal mounted baptismal font in stone; the basin has short vertical sides under a protruding rim, with an inscription dating the font to 1633; the underbowl is hemispherical, though still maintains the octagonal shape, and ornamented with wide ribs. The pedestal base appears octagonal but has a curved scroll-like handle on two sides (it may have had four and the other two have been lost); the lower base is shaped like the basin, but up-ended, plain and smaller in volume. Information received from Peter Fairweather, of Lincoln (UK), states that the font was given by Anne Keith in 1633, probably in memory of her husband. He also informs that the odd-looking octagonal font cover, or part of it, "has, in the past done duty as lectern stall but has now been replaced into its former position". [NB: the original church goes back to the late 12th century [ca. 1180?] , but we have no information on the earlier font(s) of this church]